News

Mary Ann Smith, 2025 Campus Sustainability Champion, standing next to a large London plane tree located on the Penn State Schuylkill campus. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Penn State Schuylkill biologist recognized as a PERC Campus Sustainability Champion

The Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium (PERC) has named Mary Ann Smith, lecturer of biology at Penn State Schuylkill, as a 2025 Campus Sustainability Champion.

Urara Hasegawa, assistant professor at Penn State, demonstrates thermogels, special materials that can turn from a liquid into a solid when triggered by heat. New thermogels developed by Hasegawa and her team show promise as a next-generation biomaterials.     Credit: Urara Hasegawa. All Rights Reserved.

‘Patchy’ thermogels show next-gen biomedical material potential, scientists say

Special biomedical materials that can be injected as a liquid and turn into a solid inside our bodies — called thermogels — could provide a less-invasive way to deliver drugs or treat wounds. Scientists at Penn State have developed a new design for these materials that further improves their properties and may hold particular promise for use in tissue regeneration, the researchers said.

On the latest episode of “Growing Impact,” a team of Penn State researchers discusses how their seed grant project aims to address nitrous oxide emissions from the agricultural sector by developing a system for real-time emissions monitoring and reduction.

Researchers working to address agricultural greenhouse gas emissions

On the latest episode of “Growing Impact,” a team of Penn State researchers discusses how their seed grant project aims to address nitrous oxide emissions from the agricultural sector by developing a system for real-time emissions monitoring and reduction.

Researchers found that orally administered sevelamer — a dialysis drug — can bind off-target antibiotics, shown being injected into the arm here, in the gut. Off-target antibiotics, or antibiotics that end up in the body away from the point of infection, can contribute to bacteria evolving to develop antibiotic resistance.  Credit: Provided by Amir Sheikhi. All Rights Reserved.

FDA-approved dialysis drug may help fight against antimicrobial resistance

The study, conducted in mice, revealed that sevelamer can successfully remove off-target antibiotics from the gut.

Ag Sciences research institute SAFES funds projects addressing critical issues

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, through its Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, known as SAFES, announced funding awards to accelerate the advancement of its Critical Issues Initiatives. These initiatives serve as the college’s impact hubs, addressing urgent and high-impact challenges through targeted efforts and innovative projects.

Environmental contaminants don’t just pose direct risks to human health — they may also have hidden effects through the microbiome that researchers are working to uncover. Credit: Brenna Buck. All Rights Reserved.

'Growing Impact' discusses environmental contaminants, human health

The latest episode of Growing Impact discusses how environmental contaminants affect human health, a research focus for Penn State professors Andrew Patterson and Costas Maranas.

The researchers discuss the project in its early stages. From left are Aline Novaski Seffrin, doctoral candidate in plant science; Francesco Di Gioia, associate professor of vegetable crop science; and Chenchen Kang, a former post-doctoral scholar in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

New computer vision system can guide specialty crops monitoring

The technology applies an internet of things and artificial intelligence to enhance controlled environment agriculture in advanced greenhouse scenario.

The flavonoids that provide insecticide-like protection to some corn lines against corn earworm larvae also provide pigments to the plants that show up in the silks, husks and kernels. Pictured here are the lines used in the research.  Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Select corn lines contain compounds that sicken, kill major crop pest

The compounds, called flavonoids, have an insecticidal effect on corn earworm larvae.

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded five workshops as a part of its Climate Solutions Accelerator Program to foster impactful research and bring effective climate solutions to communities in Pennsylvania and around the world. Credit: Brenna Buck. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State Climate Consortium awards 5 workshops focused on climate solutions

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded five workshops as a part of its Climate Solutions Accelerator Program for 2025.

A new biomaterial developed by Penn State engineers mimics a key building block of human tissue, extracellular matrices, which act like scaffolding and enable cells to heal after damage. Credit: Sheikhi Research Group/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Novel ‘living’ biomaterial aims to advance regenerative medicine

A biomaterial that can mimic certain behaviors within biological tissues could advance regenerative medicine, disease modeling, soft robotics and more, according to researchers at Penn State.